Sweetwater district gets $50,000 grant

The Sweetwater Union High School District has received a $50,000 grant for programs to help middle and high school students become college and career ready.

The grant comes from the Worldwide Interactive Network (WIN) and California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) partnership.

WIN+CALSA gives grants to districts for the licensing of software that helps students build career pathways through either the workforce or postsecondary education. Included in the program is the development of “soft skills” for students such as attitude, teamwork, communication, problem solving and critical thinking.

“We received many outstanding applications for this grant,” said Joseph Goins, executive vice president of WIN. “Sweetwater stood out in its commitment to apply best-practice solutions for delivering skills-based training and ensuring success for all students.”

Receipt of this grant coincides with the Sweetwater District’s High School/Middle School Redesign initiative that will implement career programs of study in all district schools. The initiative will provide students with career exploration experiences that will be developed throughout each student’s academic career. Included will be skill-building studies, internships, project-based opportunities and industry-recognized certifications.

“We are very grateful to the WIN+CALSA Partnership Grant and we are excited for the opportunity to better serve our students,” said board President Pearl Quiñones. “Preparing students to be college and career ready is a top priority for the Sweetwater District.”